Ryan Coogler on Writing ‘Creed’ and Resurrecting Rocky Balboa

In just over a year, 27-year-old Ryan Coogler has directed his first feature film, “Fruitvale Station,” been a guest of President Obama at the White House, and Monday night, won best breakthrough director at the IFP Gotham Independent Film Awards.

“Our goal with Fruitvale was to make the film and bring awareness to the situation and inspire conversation, but I never imagined this would happen on this level,” Coogler told the Journal Monday. “Fruitvale Station” reconstructs the last 24 or so hours of Oscar Grant III’s life, an African-American man who, unarmed, was shot in the back by white Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer Johannes Mehserle in 2009 (Mehserle was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and served served 11 months in prison). The film won both the grand jury prize and the audience award at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival.

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